I’m an Impostor and I Like it
On being an impostor and why it’s actually a good thing…
Impostor Syndrome. We hear so much about it, and a lot of people face it; perhaps when going through a career-change, launching their first business or becoming a parent.
Noun:
the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.
I became an impostor this year
Why? I launched a business in a sector that I have little experience in. That sector is video production. You know, creating videos that businesses use for marketing, recruitment and a plethora of other applications?
“How very dare you!” I hear you say. People pointed at me in the street and shouted ‘IMPOSTOR’!
Ok, that didn’t happen, however, I did get some pretty nasty tweets and full-scale attack by a maniac on LinkedIn, which actually really freaked me-out, but, that specific issue made me even more determined to make my new pursuit a reality.
February 2019
The business launches. Since then, I’ve kind of felt like the person in this photo. A few steps in the wrong direction and I’m going to fall, ending said rapid descent with a terminal splat.
So far, I’ve managed to stay a-top that rocky column. There’s a few reasons for this.
1: I’m from a marketing background. I know how to tell a story. Interpreting a business, their message and their audience isn’t a problem to me. I can take that and apply it to the medium of video.
2: I’m not attempting to do things I’m simply not good enough at
I don’t handle the physical filming of anything. I collaborate with professionals who know their stuff. I make this very clear anywhere that I promote the business or when talk to a potential client.
This is vital when trying to not to be seen as someone who may well be an impostor that could do damage. 100% transparency at all times.
I stick to what I know and can apply in a beneficial and valuable way. That mainly includes production (making everything actually happen), direction (ensuring we do what is required to meet the brief when shooting) and co-editing.
Oh, by-the-way, I don’t have any official training in any of those areas. However, I’ve been bold and learned on-the-job, backed up by a lot of reading and learning, mainly via YouTube.
You need to be aware of your limitations and stick to your strengths while working hard to learn what you don’t know.
3: I’ve built strong relationships in the early stage of a video job
You always need a strong relationship with your client. That goes without saying. I feel that I’ve been pushing extra-hard to create those throughout the process. From the moment the enquiry has come-in and throughout the whole process, I’ve aimed to add a lot of extra value and have a flexible attitude.
Any doubts that people may have about working with you can be allayed by being committed and striving bloody hard to deliver.
If something hasn’t worked as planned, or hasn’t matched the standard I want to achieve, I’ve put my hands up, addressed it early and fixed it. Never whitewash a problem.
I said at the start that being an impostor is a good thing
Why? Well, you don’t have preconceptions of how things should be. Bad habits haven’t had a chance to form. You are likely more willing to take on the views of others and ask for help when needed.
Being an impostor brings with it an ability to offer a fresh perspective and break from the norm. Embrace it.
So here’s to all the impostors out there. We got this.
Incase you’re interested, the business I launched is Getgo Studio and things are going very well, with a number of happy customers under-the-belt!
Enjoy this? Please give it a clap. Would love to chat about it either in the responses or via hello(at)getgo.studio
